Composition of matter



Paaaa June s, 1923.-

UNITED ST rnocnssns, me, or san FRANCISCO, cauronma, a

NEVADA.

Io Drawing.

To all'whomitmay concern:

Be it known that I, ROYER LUGKENBACH, a citizen of the United States,and a'resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of '5 Kings,- andState'ot New York, have invented a certain new and uwful Composition ofMatter, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a composition of matter capable of use in theconcentration of ores by flotation, and has for its objects theproduction of a cheap and efiicient mineral athering and frothingmaterial .which e made up in concentrated form for v be introduceddirectly into the pulp in the fiotation apparatus, which will produce avoluminous, viscid and stable froth capable of supporting a maximumamount of mineral, and which may be shipment, which may easily separatedfrom the concentrate and p recovered.

. These and further objects will more fully appear in the followingspecification and claims.

The present invention is based on the discovery that certain phenols, orhydrobenvzenes have powerful mineral selective and gan e repellentproperties, and that when com ined with a solid pyrogeneous bituminousmaterial, such, for example, asa vegetable pitch, will-dissolve thelatter, and this solution, when treated-with'an alkaline frothing agent,will adhere to mineral particles and also produce bubbles in the pulp,

which bubbles will attach themselves to the coated particles and raisethem-to the surfaceof the pulp.

The phenol-bitumin solution, which may be termed a bituminol, is waterrepellent to a 40 high degree,'is in acolloidal condition and will havea non-wettable mineral particles in the pulp, and will repel thewettable gangue particles.

The extremely fine division of the solid orcolloidal particles of thebituminol will be conducive to economy otmaterial in that eachatom, asit were, of the be attracted and attach itself to a mineral particle,and will attract orbe attracted by ghe bubbles and rise with them to thesurace.

The preferred materials for use in carrying out the process of theinvention are rosin pitch, carbolic acid, and an alcoholic Applicationfiled February 7, 1920.

.the solution may high preferential aifinity for the bituminol willconroaa'rron' or oomrosrrlo'n' or MATTER.

Serial No. 357,043.

alkali, or acetone. or both. The pitch, in pulverlzed condition, isdissolved in carbolic acid until a thick, dark brown liquid results.This liquid is waterproof and will float on water in the form of a film.The thick bitumin-phenol is of thin syrup by the addition of analiphatic compound which may or may not'be rendered alkaline. If analkaline aliphatic compound be used, an alkali, such as caustic soda,may and one or both may be employed.

The alkaline alcohol when used may be thinned to the consistency bedissolved in alcohol or acetone compounded by dissolving 5 grams ofcaustic soda or of caustic potash in 1 liter, more or less, of alcoholeither ethyl, methyl or a mixture of the two. may be made bydissolving 5grams of caustic soda'or potash in about 1 liter of acetone.

As an example of proportions in the reagent, 5 grams of pitch may bedissolved with stirring in 20 cc. of carbolic acid and to be added 5 cc.of alkaline alcohol and 5 cc. of alkaline acetone, and to the mixture isadded approximately 1 liter of warm water. This forms a stock solutionwhich may be added to the pulp in proper proportions to be determined bythe character of the ore.

Instead of equal parts of alkaline alcohol and alkaline acetone, 10 cc.of either-of those solutions may be employed in the stock solution.

The reagent may be made up for shipment in concentrated form by omittingthe water, which may be added on the job. The water in the stocksolution'is not necessary,

- but is employed in order that the small proportion of reagentnecessary to efi'ect flotation may be more easily measured. If a largerquantity of water be employed in the stock solution the reagent willnecessarily be weaker and may be more roughly proportioned to thewater-of the pulp,'or to the ore, than if the stock solution were moreconcentrated. v

It has been found that the process may be successfully carried out byusing'from 2 to 10 cc. of the stock solution wherein 1 liter of waterwas employed, in 4: liters of pulp water.

*It is be understood that the alkaline solution may be greatlyconcentrated whereby much smaller projortions mav The alkaline acetonehe used in the stock solution. A. 10% alkaline solution in water may bemade bath.

Instead of using an alcoholic potash in the stock solution, alcoholalone, in approximately the same proportions may be cmployed, and whenso compounded the solution will have an acid reaction.

The bitumin phenol mixture possesses gathering and frothing propertiesand may be utilized in the process without the addition of othermaterials, but when so used it would, because of its Water repellentqualities, be necessary to beat it into the water before the pulp isformed or placed in the flotation apparatus, as is the oil in the priorprocesses. I v

The addition of the alcohol or acetone either alkalized or not, is forthe purpose of emulsifying the mixture whereby the latter will mix withthe water of the pulp without previous treatment.

While vegetable pitch is the preferred active material it is to 'beunderstood that rosin or other resinous materials may be employed inapproximately thesame proportions.

The stock solution may rectly into the flotation apparatus Withoutpreliminary mixing with the water of which the pulp is to be formed thusreducing operating expenses.

Rosin pitch, the preferred active gathering material, while a rosinderivative is not rosin, nor is it a resin. It is one of the residues ofthe distillation of rosin (colophony). It is possible that distillationof other resinous substances such as wood, tar, copal, lac, etc. mayproduce rosin pitch. r

It has been found that when operating in certain ores, the mineralgathering and.

frothing properties may be enhanced by the addition of a small quantityof ordinary glue or gelatin to the mixture. The glue or gelatin ispreferably dissolved before it is add ed to the mixture. It has beenfound that by dissolving, approximately 1 oz. of glue or a like amountof gelatin in 1 quart of water a solution suitable for use in theflotation process may be secured. When the glue water is employed, thealkalined alcohol and acetone may be omitted, or the glue water may beused in addition phatic compound.

As a test, a mixture of 5 grams of pitch dissolved in 20 cc. of carbolicacid, and to this mixture Was added 40 cc. of the glue Water describedabove. Of the complete mixture 5 cc. was added to about 3 quarts of tapwater. To this last mentioned mixture was added 50 gr. of a New Mexicochalcopy 011., to

rite copper ore Which assayed 2.14% form a pulp. I The pulp was placedin a Case laboratory byheating on a water he introduced dito thealkaline aliflotation machine and a. run of 15 minutes was made. Theresult of the test run was Concentrates. 1'? grams having a mineralcontent of 5.57% cu.

Tails. 33 grams having a mineral content of 0.29% cu. Extraction 88.5%cu.

The composition of matter described above. while it is particularlyuseful as a frothing and mineral gathering reagent in the concentrationof ore by flotation, may be used for other purposes, such, for example,as a disiufectain.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes 1 havedescribed the principle of my invention,- together with the apparatuswhich I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but Idesire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merelyillustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other Ways.

The invention having been described, What is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is I 1. A composition of matter, comprising apyrogeneous bitumin, the reaction product of a phenol and an alkali, andthe reaction productof acetone and an alkali.

2. Acomposition f matter, comprising a pyrogeneous bitumin. the reactionproduct of a phenol and an alkali and gelatine.

A composition of matter, comprising a pyrogeneous bitumin. the reactionproduct of a phenol and an alkali and glue.

' composition of matter, comprising a pyrogeneous bitumin, the reactionproduct of carbolic acid and an alkaliand gelatine.

5. A composition of matter, comprising a pyrogeneous bitumin, thereaction product of carbolic acid and an alkali and glue.

6. A composition of matter, comprising the reaction product of apyrogeneous bitumin, a phenol and an alkali, and the reaction product ofacetone, an alkali and gelatinc. v

7. A composition of matter, comprising the reaction product of apyrogeneous bitumin, a phenol and an alkali, and the reaction product ofacetone, an alkali and glue.

min,

gelatine.

A composition of matter, comprising the reaction product of apyrogcneous bitumin, carbolic acid and an alkali; and

action product of acetone, an alkali and glue.

his specification signed and witnessed this sixth day of February, 1920.

' ROYER LUCKENBACH.

Witnesses:

A. E. BENTON,

LE B

ERTHON.

